KAHR Medical’s immunotherapeutic drug receives MIF funding

KAHR Medical, a clinical-stage biotech company developing treatments for solid tumors and blood cancers, has received an investment from the Myeloma Investment Fund (MIF).

MIF has made an investment to explore the potential of DSP107, KAHR’s lead immunotherapeutic drug candidate, to treat myeloma disease.

“We are very excited to partner with KAHR to help advance DSP107 as a potential drug candidate for multiple myeloma,” said Peter Kosa, the company’s managing director. MIF.

“This investment reinforces our commitment to drive the development of the most innovative approaches to treating patients with myeloma.”

MIF investment to explore the potential

Yaran Pereg, CEO of KAHR Medical, added: “We are very pleased to have the Myeloma Investment Fund join our investor syndicate. This vote of confidence helps us advance the clinical development of our lead product candidate, DSP107, which is being tested in multiple clinical trials for patients unresponsive or refractory to existing therapies.”

Along with current investments, KAHR Medical has raised a total of $59 million since June 2021 in private placements with support from aMoon Fund, Flerie Invest AB, Peregrine Ventures, BVF Partners LP, DAFNA Capital Management LLC, Consensus Business Group, Hadasit Bio Holdings Ltd. (HBL), Mirae Asset, Shavit Capital, Pavilion Capital, Cancer Focus Fund and Remedii.

DSP107 is a dual-targeting fusion protein that activates innate and adaptive immunity by blocking CD47 on cancer cells and using conditional costimulatory activation of 4-1BB T cells. By binding both cancer and immune cells, DSP107 comes together inhibition of PPC with localized tumor activation of immune cells to strengthen antitumor immunity.

Target macrophages

DSP107 binds to and inhibits CD47, an immune checkpoint protein overexpressed in many cancers that allows the tumor to escape immune recognition and attack by macrophages. Simultaneously, when attached to the tumor, DSP107 binds 4-1BB, a costimulatory receptor expressed on T cells, attracting them to the tumor microenvironment and stimulating their activation. These actions lead to targeted immune activation of macrophages and T cells and destruction of the tumor.

DSP107 demonstrated an excellent safety profile, lack of erythrocyte binding, bioactivity, and high disease control in phase 1 trials of patients with advanced solid tumors. DSP107 is also being tested in combination with atezalizumab in a phase 1/2 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors and in combination with standard therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory AML and MDS in a phase 1b study.

DSP107 is a CD47x41BB target. DSP107 is being tested in Phase 1/2 clinical trials in advanced solid tumors and Phase 1b clinical trials in blood cancers. KAHR Medical’s preclinical pipeline includes DSP502, a fusion protein targeting PVRxPD-L1, and DSP216, a fusion protein targeting HLA-GxCD47.

Venture Philanthropy MIF

MIF is a subsidiary of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), which is committed to finding cures for all patients with multiple myeloma by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of personalized treatments cancer.

MIF is a venture philanthropic fund that invests in promising oncology companies, clinical assets and technologies to advance the development of new treatments for multiple myeloma.

He works closely with portfolio companies to help them advance multiple myeloma research. This evergreen foundation is entirely supported by philanthropy; all profits will be reinvested back into research for more effective treatments until a cure is found for every patient.